And The Winner Is...

CARLOS IVORY OF FULTON!!
Over the course of the week, viewers voted, and Ivory earned the most votes. Ray Holtmeyer of Blair Oaks finished second, with the Hallsville Seniors placing third.
Click on the video to hear from our 2008 Ultimate Fan in the Stands.



Thanks again to all of those who voted and watched the series over the course of the season. We got a lot of positive feedback, and it sounds like many fans want the series to continue for the basketball season. Check back here in the coming weeks to see any updates.

Voting Closed!

It is now past 11:00 p.m., and the voting polls are closed.

At about 4:45 a.m. Friday morning, the winner will be announced live on KOMU 8 News Today.

Check back here as well as to see the 2008 Ultimate Fan in the Stands.

Thanks again for voting!

Week Eight - Marilyn Miller, Hickman

Age: 45
Hometown: Columbia
Occupation: Owner, lawn company
Family Members: Husband - Mike Miller, Sons - Raymond and Brent Bradley
Pets: three dogs, a lizard, a ferret, and ten chickens
Favorite sport: football
Favorite teams: Hickman Kewpies, Denver Broncos
Favorite athlete: John Elway
Non-sporting hobbies: snagging, spending time with children, Christmas
Most memorable sporting experience: watching Hickman win state championship in football, seeing her sons friends getting accepted to college for football

Bio:
Miller graduated from Hickman in 1981 and has been attending Kewpie games for 30 years.

Today, at every Hickman home game, she provides the fuel for cheerleaders, players, and fans. As the president of the Touchdown Club, Marilyn Miller organizes the big grillout. Trips to the grocery store are always in order, and she makes sure the tent is stocked with plenty of goodies.

Just feet away, her husband Mike is firing up his huge grill and cooking up more than 300 hamburgers and hot dogs. It's a lot, but they usually sell out each game. Standing next to Mike is Doug, who happens to be the quarterback's dad.

This is Miller's first year as president, but she has been part of the Touchdown Club for the past two years.

Click on the video to see the results of Miller's Friday night food frenzy.

Week Seven - Bob Huhmann and Arnie Knipp, Tipton

In 1959, Tipton High School began their first year of varsity of football. With no weight room available, and little equipment to spare, the Cardinals got off to a slow start. Yet, they made a strong push, going 3-1 in their last four games, with the one loss coming in a 7-0 shutout at the hands of Camdenton. Tipton finished the season 3-4.

Bob Huhmann and Arnie Knipp both played on that first team. Huhmann as a halfback, Knipp played left tackle. This year marks the 50th season of Cardinal football, and the team was honored during halftime of a home game. Huhmann and Knipp came back and talked about the first season and how the game has changed since they played in high school.

Click on the video to hear their story.

Week Six - Annette and Sonny Tucker, Centralia

Age: 60+

Hometown: Centralia, MO

Occupation: Retired

Family Members: son, Bryan

Favorite sports: Football, basketball, softball

Favorite teams: Centralia Panthers, Missouri Tigers
Favorite athletes: Chase Daniel, Michael Jordan
Non-sporting hobbies: collecting Lionel Trains

Most memorable sporting experience: Watching Centralia win the state championship for football in 2003 and basketball in 2004.

Annette and Sonny Tucker of Centralia have watched 40 years of Panther sports.

Sonny graduated from Centralia, and is a true Panther. He played basketball for two years during his time as a student. Annette played basketball her senior year on a team with only 6 players. They met at a district basketball game at Van-Far in 1967. They struck up a conversation, talked about sports they liked, and were married in a year.

They sit in the same spot at the top of stands, dressed in black and white. They have one son who graduated from Centralia, but Annette and Sonny consider all of the players as part of the Tucker family.

Click on the video to see their story.

Fayette @ Hallsville Slideshow

Now making their long-awaited FITS debut: soundslides! I took the pictures and audio from Hallsville's first-ever Homecoming football game. Although the Indians lost the game, everyone in the stands was pumped up and having a great time.

I won't be able to give you a pictorial treat from Week 6, because Mike and I had to split up to cover different games for the good of the order. For the record, if you liked the Versailles @ Blair Oaks highlights on FNF, you have me to thank.

In lieu of a slideshow, later this week I'll be posting a mid-season survey that you can fill out to give Mike and myself input on this site. What do you like and don't like? Are there any other things you want to see here, or do you know a good Fan In The Stands candidate? You can always e-mail us with your comments, or take the survey once it is posted. Let's hear what YOU want to see on FITS as we head towards districts and beyond!

Without further ado, some soundlisdes. Enjoy.



~Matt

Week Five: Hallsville Seniors

September 26th marked a beginning for the Hallsville Indians. In their first year of varsity football, a first football Homecoming was in order. For this week, we couldn't chose just one person, or just one story. We wanted to capture the essence of a new tradition.

But with a new tradition, also comes an end. Hallsville seniors graduated in May will only get one Homecoming as a Hallsville student. After that, they will be Hallsville alums. Click on the video to hear their persepective on their first (and last) football Homecoming as a student.

A First Homecoming

Fayette at Hallsville

Our crew had a blast at Boonville last week, and this week, we have a first on our hands.

This is the Hallsville's first year for varsity football. It is also their first year having a homecoming celebration for a varsity football game.

The Indians seem to be sending a message to the Falcons:

http://www.hallsville.org/highschool/homecoming0809/index.html

We'll see later tonight if their prediction comes true and find the next Fan in the Stands!

Week Four: The Stock Family, Boonville

Christian Stock, Boonville Coach

Missy Stock, Christian's Wife

Lou Stock, Christian's brother

This week, we took a different approach in chosing our Fan in the Stands. It's not one, not two, but a family of Pirates.

Name: Christian Stock
Age: 33
Hometown: Boonville, MO
Occupation: High School Social Studies Teacher, Assistant Varsity Football/Wrestling Coach
Family Members:

Wife - Missy

Children - Brady (6) Eli (2),

Parents - David and Glenda

Brother - Louis

Grandparents The late Mr. and Mrs. Louis Stock and The late Mr. and Mrs. Samuel L. Mc Daniel.

Favorite Sports: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ Football,Wrestling
Favorite Teams: Boonville Pirates, Missouri Tigers
Favorite Athletes: Brett Favre, Carl Edwards

Christian graduated from Boonville in 1993. He's been attending Pirate games since he was a baby. As he likes to say, he bleeds blue and white. He tries to attend every home game possible.

The most memorable sporting experience for Christian was in in 1998 for his first year ever coaching football. He was coaching at Boonville with a group of coaches and players that were determined to achieve one goal: becoming state champions. As he puts it:

When the last seconds ticked off the clock at the then TWA Dome I could not believe the unbelievable ride I had just taken with a very special group of young men and outstanding group of coaches. We had achieved our goal by defeating California 33-22 and became the 1998 3A State Champs. The memories of that season will always inspire me as a coach and fuel the desire for a return trip to the championship.

This year being the ten year anniversary of that season Christian got a chance to catch up with some of those players from the 1998 3A State Champions at a brunch held for them. To cap it all off that evening the ’08 Pirates achieved their first win of the season against Marshall for homecoming and the night of honor and recognition for the ’98 State Champs. Non-sporting hobbies: Anything outdoors, including fishing and hunting. Any chance he gets, he spends it outdoors with his kids. He is passing on his outdoor lessons to his sons. He says there is nothing no more rewarding than watching your kids learn how to do something you love to do.

Click on the video to find out about Christian and the unofficial Pirate family.

Week Four: Marshall @ Boonville

Boonville's homecoming was full of fun, fans, and the Pirates' first win of the year. Enjoy these shots from tonight's game now, and try to guess who this week's Fan In the Stands will be! HINT: It's a family affair . . .

Make a free photo slideshow

Week Three: Carlos Ivory Slideshow

Here's a few more shots of Fulton super-fan Carlos Ivory. He really has a passion for Hornet football!

Make a free photo slideshow

Week Three - Versailles at Fulton

Hey all, I'm Matt Tarnawa, the newest member of the FITS team. I'll be showing you some of what happens not only in the stands, but on the field as well. If you missed the actual game, hopefully we can bring you as close as you can get to actually being there with video, audio, and stills.

Week Three's featured matchup was the 2008 home opener for Fulton, which ended up being a very tight game. The Hornets defeated the visiting Versailles Tigers when they squared off last season, but this year's Tiger squad showed it was not one to be overlooked. Fulton's bid to go 3-0 seemed in jeopardy after some miscues helped put them down on the scoreboard, but in the end the Hornets squeezed ahead for a 28-21 victory.

There's a picture of Fulton senior wide reciever Darren Jacobs on his team's bench near the end of the show, and Jacobs was certainly a busy bee (no pun intended) on Friday night. He scored two touchdowns - one on a 60 yard pass during the first play of the game, and the other on a reverse! He will definitely be a Hornet to watch for the rest of this season.

Enjoy the show!

Make a free photo slideshow

Fan in the Stands Exclusive: ESPN's Michael Kim

ESPNEWS Anchor Michael Kim is a Fulton graduate, and University of Missouri alumnus. Kim played football and baseball when he was a Hornet. He spent time at MU's Journalism Centennial during the week and stopped by his former high school Friday night. Kim talks about attending his first football game in nearly 20 years.

Week Three: Carlos Ivory, Fulton

He's the team manager for football, basketball, and baseball. Armed with a notebook and radio, Carlos Ivory keeps track of the score between every quarter and every inning. When Fulton isn't playing, he can give you numbers like you wouldn't believe. He knows final scores and the years for the school's district championships. Even more amazing, Ivory can give the population for a countless number of towns and cities in mid-Missouri.

For 14 years, Ivory is Fulton's biggest fan, and our choice for the Week Three Fan in the Stands.

Hear more of Ivory's story by clicking on the video.

Week Two: Richard Switzer, Marceline

Age: 50+
Hometown: Marceline
Occupation: Financial Advisor
Family Members: Mary Beth – wife, Ryan and Reese – sons, Trayee Austin – grandson, Cassie – daughter-in-law,
Pets: boxer, cocker spaniel, Siamese cat
Favorite sport: High school football
Favorite team: Marceline Tigers
Favorite athletes: sons Ryan and Reese

Most memorable sports experience: Watching his sons play high school football

Bio:
Richard Switzer has been attending Tigers games for more than 20 years. He says his most memorable sporting experience is watching his sons play over the years at Marceline. Although he did not graduate from Marceline, his wife is nearing 30 years of teaching second-grade students. Richard and his wife originally lived outside of the city limits, but moved into the district after discovering the great sense of community in Marceline.

With the school approaching its 100th year, the time had come for a facelift. Switzer became involved with the Marceline Stadium Club Centennial Project. Nearly every part of the project gets traced back to Switzer. He coordinates with numerous volunteers and businesses. He’s out taking care of the grass on the field. He’s even sweeping up the floors of the new bathrooms. A new concession stand, a beautiful gated entrance, and a sharp field design are all in the works, and Switzer is behind it all.

Fittingly, Switzer real job is a financial planner. So naturally organizing big things is second nature to him. A true busy body, he spent hours getting the stadium ready for the 72nd Bell Game. But, once the game started, he took a break, and watched his Tigers end an eight game losing streak against Brookfield.

The Streak is Over

What a terrific game! Marceline wins a nail biter over Brookfield and gets the bell back after an eight year slump. It was wonderful to see the support from fans on both sides. I wish our KOMU team could have stayed at the game past halftime. We caught the second half of the game on the radio on our way back to Columbia. Miles away, we could still feel the electricity from the stadium. I can't imagine what a relief it must be for the Tigers to end the streak.

I have never seen more grand entrances than at this game. Brookfield emerged from the shadows, led by the ringing brass bell. It's not often you can walked onto an opponents field holding a prize you only get once a year. Marceline rolled in behind a fire truck, with the siren blaring. Both teams clearly ready for an intense game.

Brookfield looked strong when they scored on the opening drive. It looked like they would have been in control for the rest of the game. But, Marceline was resilient, and put together a great drive to force a 6-6 halftime score.

It sounded like the second half was a great defensive battle, with neither team backing down. I'm sure the Tiger fans were jubilant when they crossed the goal line a second time, but Brookfield didn't give up. Colby Bailey led a great drive, only to come up yards short as time expired.

The Bell Game is a unique experience, and it's good to see the state was willing to let them continue the tradition after missing out a few years ago.

Week Two Preview: Bell-y Up

Brookfield vs. Marceline

I am very excited to cover one of the oldest high school football rivalries in the nation! KOMU 8's Eric Blumberg assigned me the 72nd Brookfield-Marceline "Bell Game."

A little back story:

In 1937, Kenneth Duker donated a brass bell to Brookfield High School. The bell belonged to a fire engine used by the Brookfield Fire Department. Since then, the Brookfield Bulldogs and Marceline Tigers have fought on the gridiron 70 times, with the winner taking home the coveted bell. The Bulldogs have won the last six games against the Tigers, including a 28-0 shutout last year.

Check out the video from the 2006 Bell Game:

If you've been a part of this classic rivalry, make a post and share your story!

-Mike

Week One: Ray Holtmeyer, Blair Oaks

Age: 64
Hometown: Osage Bend
Occupation: National Guard (Retired), School Bus Driver
Children: Charlotte, Cyndi, Carrie
Grandchildren: Alan, Ashley, Chelsi, Myranda, Jared, Dalton, Emily, Lucas
Hobbies: Camping, fishing, hunting, and farming
Favorite Sport: Basketball
Favorite Teams: Blair Oaks Falcons, St. Louis Cardinals
Favorite Athlete: Stan Musial
Most memorable sporting experience: In one high school baseball game, Holtmeyer was playing centerfield. A line drive was hit towards him, and he made the catch. There was a runner on second base who took off, thinking Holtmeyer was not going to make the catch. Holtmeyer caught the ball and ran all the way to second base, giving him his only unassisted double play.

Bio:
Since he was a child, Holtmeyer always wanted to drive a school bus. On the rides to school, he would sit in the seat right behind the driver, to see how everything works behind the wheel.

Holtmeyer joined the National Guard and did more driving, along with hauling. He spent four months hauling supplies during Desert Storm. In that time, he logged more than 8000 miles in Kuwait. He remembers seeing fires and smoke filling the air. But heavy winds kept the smoke off the roads.

After serving 25 years with the Guard, it was to time to move to Jefferson City and then Osage Bend. Ray went to work driving a school bus for Blair Oaks. He drives Falcon teams for road trips. In fact, he's seen many school championships for baseball, basketball, track, and football. For Friday nights, he shuttles fans to Falcon football games in his bus. He says it's a joy watching the young Falcon teams.


Click on the video to hear a little more on Holtmeyer's story.

We'd Love to Hear From You

The stories and bios of the selected fans will be posted here...but you can add comments and share your stories!

If you know someone who is the ultimate fan, or a big school supporter, or just loves football in general, make a post.

Welcome to the official KOMU 8 "Fan in the Stands" Website!

Thanks for checking out the page. Every week a new story will be posted, along with some interesting information about each "Fan in the Stands."

Check out the page later this week, as we take a look at Ray Holtmeyer of Blair Oaks.

-Mike